Improved mode of electroplating steel wire for piano-strings and other purposes



M. MILLER, Jr ELECTROPLATING STEEL WIRE FOR PIANO STRINGS, &0.

No. 34,640. Patented. Mar. 11, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN. MILLER, JR, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

IMPROVED MODE 0F ELECTROPLATING STEEL WIRE FOR PIANO-STRINGS AND OTHER PURPOSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,640, dated March 11, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, MARTIN MILLER, of Vifacture of Metallic Music-Wire; and I hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,- forms a full, clear, and exact description. of the same.

My invention consists, essentially, in a process for protecting against rust all kinds-of steel music-wire, as well as wire to be wound upon music-wire, and 'all other kinds of metallic Wire, (whatever their name may be,) liable to rust, by which process the music-wire not only keeps its handsome and full tune, but not being seized by rust or oxidation, is also not so easily broken 'off, and instruments stringed with such wire keep their tuning better and longer.

It is well known that all music-wire had hitherto the same fate as iron or steel. It is readily attacked by humidity, or is liable to get rusty by the active influence of the atmospherical oxygen, and this rust produces the disadvantageous effect that the music-wire loses its beautiful tune, and getting thinner on its rusted parts keeps but badly its tuning, and

is soon broken oti'. This defect occurs very often to instruments in towns or places where the air is wet by the influence of great waters in the neighborhood. 0n instruments trans ported over sea this defect of string-rusting appears in an excessive degree. At Venice, for instance, there is a large number of pianofortes with rusted strings, and if a'handsometuned instrument is wanted it is necessary to change strings every five years; but this changing strings is not only hurtful to the instrument itself, but also disadvantageous for the tune-holding.

The process or the method by which the above disadvantage is entirely removed is as follows:

Before all is to be prepared the base, consisting of a copper oxide containing a carbonate dissolved in awatery solution of carbonate of potash and cyanide'of potassium. In order to prepare this base, take five pounds of vitriol of copper (blue vitriol) and dissolve it in ten pints of water. I then take five pounds of car- Donate of potash and dissolve it in ten pints of water. To prevent the overflowing a cona solution is to be prepared in a copper or iron kettle over wood or coal fire, consisting of fifteen pints of water, five pounds of cyanide of potassium, and five pounds of carbonate of potash. This solution is to be heated to boiling, when the above-preparedcopper oxide is tobe poured in. This mixture is to be left boiling uninterruptedly until strong'ammonia cal vapors are rising from it. At this moment the boiler is to be taken away from the fire and allowed to cool. N ow the base is ready and fit for my'purpose. The liquid, if properly prepared, is of a white-yellowish color. In case the blue prevail more cyanide ofpotassium is to be added until the blue color shall have entirely vanished.

Another sign of perfect fitness of the above solution is that-when a smooth piece of zinc is put in for a few moments it must appear covered with a nice copper coat.

The preparation of the above base is one essential feature of my new method. Until' now it is nowhere in use, and especially not yet employed on steel music-wire, steel or iron wire to be wound upon music-wire, or other I metallic wires subjected to rust or oxidation and it is the'app'lication of the solution prepared as hereinabove set forth that I wish to be considered as my exclusive property. The ingredients used have been indicated quantitively, and the proportions given are, to my knowledge, the best; nevertheless I do not limit myself to precisely these proportions.

Having thus prepared the base, I next proceed as follows: The drawing here annexed shows an oblongvessel conveniently large, made of wood or stone, into which is to be poured the above-described base solution. On one sideot' this vessel a small piece of fine copper called anode is suspended on platina wire, whereby it is brought in connection with the negative pole of a galvanic battery consisting of a requisite number of elements. The steelwire, or the wire as ordinarily made, is wound upon the wooden rolliA, whence it passes over the roll a, which may be of brass or some other metal, and under the two rolls -cc,where it is immersed into the fluid,through which it is drawn. It then runs over the wooden roll I), from which it is caused to enter the wa ter in the second vessel by means of the two rolls .r 00. At f it is cleaned and dried with a piece of cloth, and finally reaches the roll B, upon which it is wound in bundles. The brass roll a, over which the wire is running, being in connection with the positive pole of the battery and the anode d, which hangs on a platina wire at one side of the vessel into the fluid (base) beiu g onthe contrary in connection with the negative pole of the same galvanic battery, the galvanizing or copperin g of the wire takes place in very quick manner, and the wire that at the roll A has been steel-grey appears on the roll B covered with copper, constituting in such state a new article of manufacture and trade named coppered-steel music-wire.

In ordertoproducesilvered steelmusic-wire, orsilveredwire to be wound uponmusic-wire, the arrangement is the same, with the difl'erence thatthe anode is a piece of fine silver,

and is suspended within a silver solution. This silver solution is made "in the following manner: In a' china vessel half an ounceof silver is to be dissolved in one ounce and a half .of aqua fortis, and the whole thinned with one pint of water in order to increase the volume- This done, a second solution is to be made of one-quarter pound of ordinary salt in one pint ofwater. The said solution or salt-water is to be poured slowly into the first until .a precipitate is being formed. The fluid standin g over that precipitate is to be decanted and the white precipitate washed several times inclear water. A third solution is now to be madeof four ounces of cyanide of potassium in two pints of water, and the precipitate before obtained mixed with this third fluid produces the white and crystalline silver solution. The wire, already covered with the base 'or coppered, is now wound upon the roll A, from whence it is run over the brass roll a, which is in connection with the positive pole of a battery. It thenpasses down under the two rolls 0 c, and is drawn through the fluid into which the silver anode above mentioned is suspended over the roll I), and under the two rolls :0 .r it enters another vessel filled with water, where it is washed. Beingdried and cleaned, it is wound upon the roll B in bundles and sold as silvered-steel music-wire.

Gilded steel music-wire is produced thus: A five-dollar gold coin is dissolved in the seven times its weight of aqua regia, and the solution thus obtained is evaporated in a'china vessel over wood fire. By thus proceeding chloride of gold is obtained. This done, two ounces and a half of cyanide of potassium are dissolved in two pints of water, and the above chloride of gold is added. The gold solution is now ready. As anode a piece of fine gold is used, which, by means of platina wire, is suspended upon one side or" the vessel. The manipulation is the same as that before mentioned, and the steel music-wire is gilded.

Steel nmsic-wire covered with brass is produced as follows: Take five pints of the above base solution. In five pints of water are dissolved two pounds of cyanide of potassium, and thelatter solution is poured into the first said base reduced with water. "To this mixture is added half a pound oxide of zinc, and when all is dissolved the fiuid is ready. The manipulation is thesame as above. The steel wire is wound upon the roll A anddrawn. through the fluid, as above described, with the difference that a piece of. brass is used as anode.

Covering steel musicwire with tin requires the following'proceeding: One pound of tin oxide is. dissolved in ten pints of water by boiling this mixture in a sutficiently largeenameled iron vessel over coal or wood fire. While boiling add by degrees two pounds of carbonate of potash. As soon as the latter is dissolved two pounds of cyanide of potassium are thrown in, and the whole left boiling until all is perfectly dissolved. [After being cooled the mixture is ready. To'tin 'steel-music-wire the same above-mentioned proceeding is applied to. The anode is a piece of tin.

' At all manipulationsthe quantitive proportions hav'e be'en' given 'onaccount-of their being'the best; but I do notlifmit myself to them.

. From the manipulationsherein-above mentioned it followsthat- .in; order to cover steel music-wire with;copper,silver, gold, brass, tin, &c.,, anodes of copper, silver, gold, brass, tin, as, are immersed into a solution convenient to these anodes, and that this plunging of the anodes into the convenient fluid for the purpose of galvanizing steel music-wire, combined with the two poles of the battery, is the new methodwhich I desire to be considered as my exclusive property.

To execute this my invention I do not operate with anodes of the above-mentioned met a-ls only, but I also use their several compounds-via, bronze (copper and tin) ora' composition of gold, silver, and copper. Furthermore,a composition of gold and silver, known as green gold,-and aconiposition of silverand copper. In short, I include all com positions, whatever their name may be, only for every chosen anode a solution convenlent to it is to be applied to-viz., first, the anode being bronze, (copper and tin,) the solution mustconsist of one pound of a carbonate'of copper oxide in ten pints of water and five pounds of cyanide of potash, to which is ad ded two pints of the before-mentioned tin so lution second, the anode being gold and silver, (green gold,) the following solution is to be applied to: ten parts of the above-named gold solution and one part of the above-indieated silver solution; third, the anode being a composition of gold, silver, and copper, ten

' parts of the above gold solution, ten parts of the abovecopper solution, andone part of the above silver solution are to be taken; fourth, the anodebeing a} composition of silver and copper, ten parts of the above silver solution and one part of the ahovecopper solution are to be taken.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what Iclaimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The production of, steel or other music-wire provided with a copper, silver, gold, or other metallic coating, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specificotion'hefore two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN MILLER, SOHN.

Witnesses:- I

J our: KRETSGHMER, TG. RAITIL 

